Captain Blood, the pirate-themed action game last showcased in 2010, will launch in 2024.

SNEG Ltd, a publishing studio that aims to preserve forgotten titles, reveals today that Captain Blood will be released on Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch later this year.

Loosely based on the adventure novels written by author Rafael Sabatini, Captain Blood is a pirate-themed action game set in the golden age of piracy during the 17th century, where you step into the boots of the most feared pirate captain to ever sail across the seven seas on his quest for gold and glory.

Undergoing several iterations throughout its development in the 2000s, Captain Blood was last showcased in 2010 before vanishing for years due to publishing disputes. Now, SNEG Ltd. is excited to bring the game back for fans of classic pirate adventure, combining its original glory with modern improvements for today’s gamers and consoles.

You play as Captain Blood, the manliest pirate captain ever to drink grog while romancing maidens across the Spanish main. When the local magistrate’s beautiful buxom daughter is kidnapped, he swallows his pride and hires you and your crew to rescue her.

Expect wild adventures with cannon firing, pistol shooting, swashbuckling sword fights, and plenty of pirate shenanigans. This action-packed hack’n’slash features fierce hand-to-hand combat, hordes of enemies, and a classic fighting system with flashy combos and epic finishers.

The game will launch simultaneously on all platforms later this year.

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For the first time ever you now get all six Borderlands adventures together in one package, and also announced, Borderlands 3 is coming to Nintendo Switch.

Today, 2K and Gearbox Software revealed two new ways to experience the Borderlands universe, that millions are still playing today.

Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box packages together all six base games from the iconic franchise: Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Tales from the Borderlands, Borderlands 3, and New Tales from the Borderlands, as well as all of their add-on content, in one giant bundle for the first time.

In the Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box, fans will experience the iconic franchise that defined the looter-shooter genre with its over-the-top firefights, absurdly varied arsenals, and thrilling interplanetary adventures perfect for solo and co-op play. It is the perfect opportunity for lovers of the franchise and newcomers to experience this legendary series in one place.

Additionally you can make some mayhem at home or on the go when Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition hits Nintendo Switch on October 6th, 2023 with physical copies available for pre-order now.

Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition is the quintessential Borderlands 3 experience, featuring the award-winning base game plus all six content add-ons and the full collection of bonus cosmetic packs. Blast through multiple worlds as one of four Vault Hunters—the ultimate treasure-seeking badasses of the Borderlands, each with deep skill trees, abilities, and customization.

Play solo or join a friend in two-player local and online co-op to take on deadly enemies, score loads of loot, and save your home from the most ruthless cult leaders in the galaxy.

Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition on Nintendo Switch content includes the base game and all DLC as well as over thirty cosmetic in-game items.

Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box arriving on PC via Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 on September 1, 2023. Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition coming to Nintendo Switch on October 6, 2023

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At gamescom 2023, Nightdive Studios announced the final chapter in the trilogy: Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion.

Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is a faithful restoration of the classic first-person shooter originally released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64, upgraded through Nightdive Studios’ proprietary KEX Engine for play on modern gaming devices with up to a 4K resolution at 120FPS.

It joins Nightdive Studios, Universal Games, and Digital Platforms’ popular Turok and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil remasters, capping off the trilogy. Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion features upgraded gameplay, high-resolution textures, enhanced lighting and rendering, and support for console gamepads with platform-specific features.

Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is the first title from Nightdive Studios to use the latest version KEX engine, which utilizes an improved renderer to achieve a higher tier of visual fidelity across 3D models, textures, and graphical effects.

“The Turok series is one of the classic touchstones of gaming and being able to provide the newest and improved version of Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion is a great feeling,” said Larry Kuperman, Director of Business Development at Nightdive Studios. “It makes full use of the latest version of our KEX engine, and we’re excited to share the game with players later this year.”

In Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion, players choose between dual protagonists Joseph and Danielle Fireseed, siblings of Turok 2: Seeds of Evil protagonist Joshua Fireseed. Together, they must defeat the titular antagonist Oblivion and its followers, the Flesh Eaters, after the supposed demise of their brother at its hands.

Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion was created in collaboration with Universal Games and Digital Platforms and releases on Windows PC via Steam, PlayStation 4|5, Xbox One and Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on November 14th, 2023.

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Milestone and Mattel, Inc.have released a new trailer for Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged, available starting October 19th, 2023.

In Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged, having a fast car will not be the only key to success, as gameplay has been revolutionised with the introduction of two new moves that add an extra layer of depth to competition. With the power of boost, players will be able to Jump or Double Jump at any moment. This new action serves as an ideal tool for overtaking opponents or navigating tight spaces by avoiding obstacles. Moreover, these new moves enable players to not only enhance their racing skills but also discover new shortcuts or access previously unreachable sections of the track.

Meanwhile, the brand-new Lateral Dash allows players to swiftly shift to the left or right, colliding with opponents on either side of their vehicle. Using this manoeuvre, players can strategically force opponents out of bounds or use them to bounce within the confines of the orange plastic track. These new abilities, combined with the boost and drift mechanics players know and love from Hot Wheels Unleashed™, open up a multitude of opportunities and greatly expand the possibilities for players to make strategic decisions and interpret each race and track in their preferred way.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged takes the fun to the next level by introducing five distinct and completely new environments. Players will be transported to an expansive Arcade reminiscent of the bygone era of coin-operated games; a Backyard of a residential house transformed into a thrilling racing arena; a Mini Golf Course nestled within a Wild West township; a Museum where players can race among reproductions of dinosaurs and other fossil artifacts; and a Gas Station housing a once tranquil diner serving juicy hamburgers. In addition, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged will feature the Track Room, which offers a special empty environment for players who prefer to unleash their creativity and design their own unique tracks in a neutral space.

Many of the game’s diverse range of tracks will take place exclusively indoors or in the open air, while others will seamlessly transition between both settings, providing a dynamic and immersive racing experience. This variety of settings elevates gameplay, as different environments offer a range of surfaces that significantly impact the handling of vehicles. As a result, racers will need to adapt their skills and carefully select the appropriate vehicle for each race, ensuring a thrilling and strategic experience.

Speaking of vehicles, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged presents a vastly expanded launch line up featuring an impressive collection of 130 iconic vehicles from the Hot Wheels universe, including the introduction of all-new classes such as ATVs and Motorcycles. Each vehicle possesses a unique style and character based on the category it belongs to. For example, vehicles in the Rocket category deliver unmatched speed on straightaways, while those in the Balanced category offer a perfect blend of speed and manoeuvrability. The Swift category presents a lighter and fiercely competitive option, while the Drifter is perfect for mastering corners with professional finesse. In contrast, the Heavy-Duty category features colossal and robust vehicles, and the Off-Road class represents the ideal choice for conquering the most challenging off-track terrain.

To truly dominate the competition, a combination of muscle and brain is essential. That’s why Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged introduces a brand-new Skill System that allows players to customise their vehicles’ driving experience. Players can now invest Skill Points they earn in a Skill Tree consisting of three branches, each focusing on different aspects. These include enhancing boost and related features, improving handling, and upgrading the ability to navigate obstacles. The meaningful choices made in the skill tree enrich both moment-to-moment gameplay and long-term variety as players explore the breadth of customisation options.

In Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged it’s not just what’s under the hood that matters. The improved Livery Editor will allow the creation of unique designs to stand out on the track, while the new Sticker Editor will enable players to create, save, and share specific patterns and shapes, allowing for further customisation of their vehicle’s appearance! Once they are satisfied with their designs, players can share them with the world, showcasing their artistic skills to fellow racers.

“On top of their expertise with racing games, Milestone’s unique ability to understand the Hot Wheels brand was the key ingredient in making Hot Wheels Unleashed such a success,” said Mike DeLaet, Global Head of Digital Gaming at Mattel. “With Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged, Milestone has taken gameplay, customisation, graphics, and more to the next level, all while elevating the authentic Hot Wheels experience that remains the wondrous heart of this series.”

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged is available now for pre-order on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

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Calling all superstars – it’s time to jump into a brand-new Sonic gaming experience.

SEGA has revealed Sonic Superstars, Sonic the Hedgehog’s latest adventure bringing a new standard of play to classic high-speed 2D Sonic platforming.

Sonic and his friends’ journey starts on the beautiful North Star Islands, a mystical place offering never-before-seen environments, as well as a mysterious story waiting to unfold. Enormous creatures, exhilarating adventures, and evil plans from Dr. Eggman await Sonic and his friends, who can now obtain brand-new abilities known as the Emerald Powers when Chaos Emeralds are collected.

Sonic Superstars is set to release in Spring 2023, on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch.

Harness the Emerald Powers to take on Dr. Eggman in dynamic new ways and stop him from converting the island’s animals into Badniks before it’s too late.

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During the Summer Game Fest live showcase, Ubisoft announced Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, an action-adventure platformer game set in a mythological Persian world.

In this brand-new adventure, players will embody Sargon, a young, gifted warrior and member of an elite group called The Immortals.

As they are sent to rescue Prince Ghassan, they will explore Mount Qaf, a once wondrous place, now cursed and hostile. Sargon and his brothers-in-arms will soon discover that time itself will be a treacherous foe and that world balance must be restored.

Inspired by the Metroidvania structure, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown lets players explore a handcrafted world at their own pace. From the majestic Citadel of Knowledge to the colourful landscapes of the Hyrcanian Forest, players will discover a variety of environments inspired by Persian mythology. By acquiring new time powers, unlocking unique abilities, and combining them in combat, Sargon will progressively delve deeper in Mount Qaf, solving puzzles, finding secrets, and completing exciting side quests.

In this epic journey, Sargon will fight his way through mythical enemies, larger-than-life bosses, and vicious traps. By combining combat and platforming skills, players will defeat time-corrupted creatures such as Jahandar, the dreadful Manticore, guardian of the Citadel. Players will be able to express their creativity in a deep and engaging combat system to trigger devastating combos.

While exploring this mythical place, players will be fully immersed thanks to the original soundtrack created by Mentrix. The Iranian-born composer mixes both traditional instruments and modern sounds to guide players from one environment to another. Mentrix will be joined by award-winning composer Gareth Coker, bringing his own personal touch to convey the epic scale of the boss fights.

Developed by a team of seasoned veterans from Ubisoft Montpellier, Prince of Persia™: The Lost Crown is a fresh take on the legendary franchise, bringing new characters & lore, engaging narrative, and exciting gameplay mechanics into the mix.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will release on January 18, 2024, on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, as well as Windows PC through the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store. Payers can also subscribe to Ubisoft+ on PC and Xbox.

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Milestone and Dorna Sports S.L. reveal the updated design of the MotoGP 23 career mode, which has always been one of the most important features of the MotoGP videogame franchise.

This year, it comes with a renewed and even more realistic, dynamic and social formula. A feature that everyone will be able to fully enjoy, thanks to the new neural aids, a system where realism and approachability meets in perfect balance.

The much-anticipated MotoGP 23 feature, the Neural Aid System, will help beginners to learn the ins and outs of riding thanks to an advanced AI support system, based on neural network technology. This innovative feature will assist riders with braking, acceleration and handling, for a seamless and more immersive riding experience. The system is carefully calibrated to ensure enjoyment for all, while the players who want to master the game will find in the MotoGP Academy the best tools to improve their riding style and performance.

Detailed descriptions will guide the players along the track, teaching them how to ride each section faster and more effectively.

In MotoGP 23, the Career mode starts at the end of a Moto3 championship. Easier to master compared to the bikes of the MotoGP, these bikes will allow players to get familiar with the mechanics of this new edition. Depending on the results, players will be able to stay for another season in the same category or move up to Moto2, or even forge ahead to race directly in MotoGP.

This will satisfy both who wants to experience all the different physics of the bikes and compete against the riders in all three categories, and the players who might prefer to skip directly to the higher class. Before every season players will be able to choose if they want to race a short 10-round calendar or the official one, which includes all the 21 rounds of the world championship.

MotoGP 23 introduces Turning Points, which are key decision-making moments in the game that will affect players’ career. During each season, players will encounter a variety of scenarios, each with different objective to achieve. Depending on the results obtained on track, each career path will take a different turn; for instance, from the initial tests to the Summer Break, based on their performance, players will be able to decide whether to renew with the same team, stay in their class, or move up. Objectives will not only consist of winning races but will also influence motorcycle development, allowing players to enjoy the game’s nuances. This new career design will thus offer long-term challenges that can only be experienced by playing multiple seasons and exploring all the game’s content.

MotoGP 23 has an innovative career mode that shifts the focus from team manager to rider.

The career mode adapts to the players’ performance and features a fictional social network that emphasises their digital personality of their alter ego. The narrative of the game includes comments from opposing riders that are linked to career objectives. The players’ social behaviour will influence the response of the artificial intelligence during the race.

For example, if players are too aggressive on the track, opponents may ask them to behave more appropriately. Players have now the option to comply or to respond aggressively, with the risk to create heated rivalries. This will result in different levels of competitiveness, which will affect the gameplay. In the long term, having a negative relationship with other riders will make it difficult to form alliances. In the end, the game focuses on the consequences of social interactions in the racing world.

In MotoGP 23, having a good reputation is crucial as it affects, not only the way other riders react, but also the objectives assigned to the players by their team. And beware: failing to achieve them might get you fired at the end of the season.

Additionally, the game now offers a more realistic approach when joining a team, with only two spots available, so players will have to compete with the official riders and prove their value. For instance, to join the Ducati team, players must first demonstrate their ability with satellite teams like Team Gresini MotoGP, Pramac Racing, or VR46 Racing.

Another example of the new, emerging dynamics is the inclusion of newly entered teams such as GasGas Factory Racing, whose overall goal will be to finish in the Top 15 at the end of the championship. In case players perform even better and manage to be in the Top 10 before the summer break, a crossroad arises and they will have the opportunity to earn the same bike development upgrades as the KTM official team.

In MotoGP 23, the first rider of each team is responsible for the motorcycle’s development. To make their voices heard, players will have to demonstrate that the role of second rider is just not enough for them. The Turning Points will allow players to climb the ladder and direct the team’s technical development during tests. This applies also to AI-managed teams, whose motorcycles start with basic parameters and progress as technical development advances, which could result in unpredictable consequences for each season’s rankings.

Once in the first rider role, players must analyse not only their own performance but also their most competitive rivals’ and understand how to lead the technical development. Reading the MotoGP 23’s Social Network and the comments of the other riders, players must understand who to keep an eye on. Opponents will change their performances every time, based on the vehicle they are racing on and how they ended the previous season. This will affect the hierarchies within their teams, resulting in each season being different from the previous one.

MotoGP 23 will release on 8th June 2023 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

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Pentiment is the strangest, most intelligent curveball of a game in 2022.

Who knew that a game that would delight church historian nerds would be Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian’s latest release, hot off the back of the 1.0 release of insect-sized survival sim Grounded.

This welcome strangeness of the game is immediate as the story sets itself up. You play as Andreas Maler, an artist working in a combined abbey-convent’s scriptorium, copying down text and illustrating books, set in early 16th century bavaria, during the dying days of hand-copied books, the rise of the printing press and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

Pentiment’s visual style is a perfect match for this setting, with a 2D adventure-style presentation that looks like a mediaeval tapestry. It is all stunningly rendered, with extremely high quality art. I loved the superlative details such as the way each character’s text is drawn in speech bubbles with different fonts for each person’s class – worker, clergy, noble etc.

But what of the game itself?

Pentimenti is, at heart, a detective narrative adventure which asks you to slowly uncover the truth of a murder and what lies behind it over 25 years. While it is fairly linear, there are a wide range of dialogue choices that it presents to form alliances, make enemies and engage with other characters. I, for example, chose my Andreas as someone who had spent time in Florence, was taught law and who was a logician.

This, much like Fallout to be honest, gave me some unique dialogue choices. That said, you may not want to use those choices. Taking clear inspiration from seminal masterpiece Disco Elysium, sometimes the best choice is not to say anything, or to say something opposite of what your chosen background may give you cause to say. You will have to use emotional intelligence and wits to keep people onside. Characters have their own complex views and motivations, and deftly navigating these over the course of each day is key to getting close to your ultimate goal.

Behind all of this is a world that is richly detailed, not only in it’s visual presentation, but in the depth of the individual character’s writing and the description of the upheaval they are living through. The game’s writers have truly set a game in a specific time period, where people think and speak as they would have. The writing demonstrates how surface-level many video game, book and screen characters are written and directed, with little actual connection to the setting or time they are supposedly living in.

In Pentiment, each character’s struggles, conflicts and attitudes are grounded in the early 1500s, with its class divides, religious convictions and struggles, and upcoming economic and information revolutions.

Characters will use phrases of the day and expect you to look up what it means (achieved through hyperlinks that take you to an artful glossary) rather than leaving these phrases out for readability. It’s the type of game that can only be developed with either being an indie with nothing to lose, or being backed by one of the world’s richest companies, the latter clearly being the case here for Microsoft-owned Obsidian.

Honestly, it is a wonder that Pentiment ever got made. It is so much a labour of passion, an expression of a clear, defined interest that is refreshing in the times of the huge, sprawling AAA open world release. A game carefully honed to make money it is not.

I love that Microsoft has given Obsidian the scope to work on this project, and if this is a harbinger of how their latest round of studio acquisitions will work out, then it is a very encouraging sign of a maturity in the relationship between developer and corporate owner. Here’s to many more Pentiment-sized titles from all of the Microsoft Game Studios family.

A final shout out to the audio design too, which is excellent. There are few “tracks”, but the foley work is incredibly rich and detailed. The world of the 16th Century Holy Roman Empire too, is unique in video games, and shows that even in a game set in Europe, there is a huge scope to explore complex settings that have not yet been featured previously – A Plague Tale: Requiem being another recent standout late mediaeval title.

Some might say that Pentiment is niche, but I think that is doing a disservice to it. Sure, it won’t be for everyone – a visual novel style detective adventure game will never be – but the strength of the characters, writing and presentation make this game worth a look in for a wider audience than you might expect. And hey, you might even learn a thing or too.

Pentiment is available now on Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles, and PC on Xbox Game Pass or on Steam.

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Along with the official release date a new trailer for The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me has been revealed.

Building up the tension as the crew hasten through the dimly lit hotel corridors and make gruesome discoveries in their attempt to escape the traps set for them by their mysterious host.

In addition to an increased runtime with a 7+ hour playthrough, this next instalment of the franchise brings all new features to enhance immersion and reward player exploration even further.

You can now interact much more with the world around you and enjoy new exploration actions which enrich this experience. As players tread the detailed and creepy corridors of the murder hotel, they will be able to push and pull objects, as well as run, jump or climb to reach areas that would otherwise have been inaccessible.

Also added is an inventory system, with each character having a number of tools at their disposal to aid them in their story such as a directional microphone, camera and camera flash, tie pin and reporters pencil, items that will prove very useful over the course of your playthrough. Some objects can even be altered, broken or given to other characters, and some can save a life, or even take it!

And this story is not just about running and hiding. You’ll need to get your thinking caps on, as the game will bring puzzles too. You’ll need to find codes, hidden or disguised in the world, untangle antique fuse boxes and find your way out of mazes, and failure might prove to be very costly indeed!

Finally, the multiplayer modes will be back. Challenge the killer alone or seek safety in numbers with friends, online or by passing the controller in couch co-op mode.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me is available for pre-order now, and releases on the 18th of November 2022, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Steam.

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Today, 2K and Gearbox Software announced that New Tales from the Borderlands, a new standalone, choice-based interactive narrative adventure set in the Borderlands universe.

Players will face down a planetary invasion, vicious vault monster, and cold-hearted capitalists in this cinematic thrill ride where what happens next depends on their decisions. Every choice big or small can impact how the story unfolds, often in unexpected ways, and only by playing through the game will players fully understand how their decisions can change the Borderlands.

New Tales from the Borderlands is developed by Gearbox Software, led primarily by Gearbox Quebec – an incredible team with a deep history of creating compelling Borderlands narrative experiences. Gearbox Software also partnered with key alumni of the original Telltale Games narrative team to craft the all-new story in New Tales from the Borderlands.

New Tales from the Borderlands immerses players in a deep and original story full of unexpected turns, heartwarming emotion, and classic Borderlands humour. Within the perpetually war-torn metropolis of Promethea, players will decide the fates of three underdogs out to make mayhem their business, with altruistic scientist Anu, her ambitious “streetwise” brother Octavio, and the fierce, frogurt-flinging Fran.

New Tales from the Borderlands will be available worldwide on October 21, 2022.

From today, consumers can pre-order on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 (PS5), PlayStation 4 (PS4), Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

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